Mighty Men!

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth”. Psalm 127:3-4.

The Scriptural text above highlights two important truths that are worthy of serious attention

1. It's a known fact that children are a blessing from God. It's a simple yet profound truth that should encourage anyone desiring to have children to put their trust in God alone. I pray for everyone reading this who desires children, that the Lord will bless them with their children in Jesus' Mighty Name.

2. Furthermore, raising children is a prophetic assignment. God compares children to arrows in the hand of a mighty man. He wasn't just using words to describe them; there is a significant meaning behind it. This is a prophetic language and an encoded statement that cannot be understood on the surface. Prophet Isaiah wrote:1.

"I and the children that the Lord has given me, we are for signs and wonders in Israel" Isaiah 8:18. In other words, I am not just having children for the sake of having them, they are signs and wonders in the human flesh.

The second truth above sets the pace for our contemplation today, as we look at “as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man”.

The Bow and Arrow is one of the earliest missile weapons of warfare known to man. By missile weapon (or ranged weapon), I mean a weapon that does not require the user to be close to the target. It consists of two basic units; a bow which is an elastic arc with a tensile bowstring joining the two ends together, and an arrow which is a carefully crafted long narrow object with a pointed tip. The bow is the component that stores the energy which eventually sets the arrow in motion by drawing the string with force. This ability for the bow to store energy determines the power of that bow i.e. a bow is considered powerful if a higher amount of force is required to fully stretch it. Subsequently, the BOW is an important factor in hitting the desired target.

The second critical success factor is the Arrow. The tip of the arrow directed at the target is the arrowhead. It is usually made of a different material such as flint, bone, horn, or steel. The material used will determine the intended purpose. Not all arrowheads are designed for warfare. There are those designed for hunting and some others designed for sports (II Timothy 2:20-21 NKJV).

It is evident that the bow and arrows play a crucial role in hitting the right target during warfare. However, there is another critical factor that is often overlooked - the handler or the Archer. The Archer must possess the necessary skills and strength to succeed. The biblical analogy compares arrows in the hands of a competent archer - the mighty man - to children of one’s youth. In other words, just as the archer needs to be skilled and strong to use the arrows properly, so do parents need to be equipped and competent to raise their children effectively.

To accurately decode this language, we must rely on the Bible to interpret itself.

Jeremiah 50:9 says "For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain". Jeremiah 50:9

In the text above, Jeremiah gives us the specifications of the men who must handle the arrows. They must be men in the Expert category, not naïve ones. When such men release arrows, all the arrows hit the target without losing anyone. Friends, the stakes are very high, because we are dealing with the vicious and wicked system of this world – Babylon.

We will discuss five categories of mighty men with clear mandates to sharpen and shoot their arrows:

1. The Fathers: Fathers are the first set of mighty men. Abraham, whose name also means ‘Exalted Father’, knew how to direct his children and household. Genesis 18:19.

I would like to highlight some examples of Mighty Men in the Scriptures. We can learn valuable lessons from their lives as we trust God for expert and powerful fathers.

Mighty Man of Wealth: "And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz" (Ruth 2:1 NKJV). As a father, to qualify as an expert mighty man, you must be a mighty man of wealth. One who sufficiently provides for the needs of his children and household. A mighty man does not abandon his responsibilities. I love the way Boaz was able to preserve posterity and produced David, the great king and sweet psalmist of Israel. Ruth 4:21-22 

• Mighty Man of Power: "Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power" 1 Sam 9:1 NKJV. Kish was a mighty man of power. He was a man of influence, a loving and doting father whose loins could produce a king material. 1Sam 9:2 . If you are a father reading this, may you be a man of influence. Again, 1 Sam 9:5 shows us how caring Kish was as a father.   However, Kish never featured in the days when Saul wandered off and began to go off-target. Perhaps he had died. Pray for yourself, that God will keep you alive to complete your assignment over your children.

• Mighty Man of Valour:

 "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour". Judges 6:12 

Here we are introduced to another mighty man named Gideon. His status was announced by a messenger from heaven to be a Man of Valour. He was a warrior who was worth his salt. He accomplished great things in his domain of influence. He could take on the enemy and destroy their princes. But there was a problem; Gideon could not transmit legacy. Judges 8:20 - 23. Why was he not able to transmit legacy? He did not live a life of truth before his children. He said one thing – the Lord shall rule over you – and did another thing as seen in Judges 8:27 '. Don’t be this kind of father!

2. Mothers: Mothers are another category of Mighty Men who must effectively handle the arrow. Some mothers know how to sharpen arrowheads, but others dull them by not cooperating with their husbands to raise and nurture their children in the way of the Lord. Proverbs 31 introduces us to an amazing mother.

 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

"What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.  It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted". Proverbs 31:1-5 

King Lemuel's Mother was a mother in the stock of Lois and Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Women who understood the importance of raising the next generation to be strong on godly values and high moral standards.

In conclusion, there is an urgent need for accurate archers like Jehu in 2 Kings 9:24  NKJV. Where are the archers who can pull with full strength? Where are the mighty expert men? God wants to dismantle the operations of the Babylonian system that has found its way everywhere.

"Call together the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around; Let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all she has done, do to her; For she has been proud against the LORD, Against the Holy One of Israel". Jeremiah 50:29 NKJV

The overarching target is to bring down Babylon and establish the rule of Zion. May you be a mighty expert man whose arrow never misses the target. Shalom!

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STEPHEN OLUSA

Saved by grace in his early teens, Stephen Olusa is a saint, a husband, a father and a minister of the Gospel, with a teaching gift and a passion for believers to express Christ without borders. He is a Digital Payments Professional with over 17 years of cognate experience in the financial sector.

He currently serves in the Family Life Centre of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos and speaks in Christian meetings across denominations, as the Lord enables him.

Stephen is married to Faith, and they are blessed with two mighty seeds, Oluwaseyifunmi and Oluwatominsi.